Bari is the city where my father grew up, so it’s always held a special place in my life. For many travelers Bari is a stopover, the place you pass through on your way to somewhere else in Puglia. Maybe because of this, it has managed to stay wonderfully authentic.
The city is divided in two. There’s the newer district, Murat, laid out on a tidy grid and filled with excellent restaurants, cafés, bars, and shops. And then there’s Bari Vecchia, the old town: a maze of narrow alleys and hidden courtyards where life spills into the streets. You might catch women shaping orecchiette outside their homes or hear families chatting from open doorways. The lungomare, Bari’s long waterfront promenade, is perfect for a walk along the Adriatic Sea. If you start near the old fish market, once the center of the city’s fishing trade, you’ll now find retired fishermen gathered over card games, drinking Peroni beers.
There’s plenty to see in Bari, but even more to eat. Centuries of Greek, Arab, and Norman influence have shaped its cuisine, giving it a distinctly Mediterranean feel with unmistakably local flavors. Expect fresh seafood, panzerotti, and focaccia warm from the oven.
These are the places I return to again and again, after a lifetime of trips to Bari
